My goal is to help you manage the balance between work and your family and personal lives. I'll focus on creative solutions to conflicting demands, new strategies for helping people juggle responsibilities, and new trends and developments.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Work/life balance in the new year

I'm supposed to work a part-time schedule. But with so much change in my industry, it's getting much harder to keep my work hours from stretching later each day. Full time workers in most industries also tell me they find their work hours getting longer. I just read that 50 percent of Americans will vow better work/life balance in the new year. I myself vow to strive for work/life balance, even as I take on new challenges at work. So how do all of us make this resolution stick? Here are some tips that I plan to try: * Take advantage of the benefits your company offers. “More companies are devising ways to help their employees achieve a healthy work-life balance, from telecommuting, to on-site fitness programs and more. Take advantage of these programs and if necessary talk with your employer to tailor these benefits for you.* Set the Bar Appropriately – A goal that looks intimating from the start will probably never be accomplished. Instead of planning to never work on vacation, set a resolution to limit the time spent checking email to 15 minutes per day.* Make Daily Reminders – Jot down your daily successes and failures; use failures as suggestions for improvement. I think this will help me feel like I accomplish something even on a part-time schedule. For more tips on workplace goals, check out Beyond.com.

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About this blog

Cindy Krischer Goodman writes The Balancing Act column for The Miami Herald. She has been a reporter and business columnist since 1994. The mother of three children, she brings her personal experiences to her beat. Cindy grew up in Miami and has a degree in journalism from University of Florida. Off the job, she exercises, reads, volunteers in schools, and cares for her children. Email her at cgoodman@miamiherald.com